Tales of Symphonia: Daughter of Cruxis
by LifeEqualsMusic
Summary: My name is Amethyst Garnet Aurion, and this is my story.
1. Chapter 1

**This feels quite different than anything I've written, and I really quite like it. By the way, that sword is my literary pride and joy.**

**Tales of Symphonia belongs to the geniuses over at Namco, not the nerd who sits behind her computer writing all day.  
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><p>I never knew much about my life in Sylvarant. I'd lived in Iselia, from what my father told me, and we'd had a happy life there, until Mother died. That was when Dad went back to Derris-Kharlan, presumably because of his grief over Mother's passing.<p>

We've spent the last fifteen years up here, and I grew up surrounded by soulless half-elves, without emotion. The only respite from this was mealtime with Dad, a time we both cherished, and gradually, as I climbed the ranks to become Yggdrasil's advisor, Dad and I spent more time together, though it was strictly business, then.

Dad taught me to wield a sword when I was old enough, just a practice one at first, but for my fifteenth birthday, he bought me the highest quality blade he could find. Its appearance is quite simple at first glance, but after further inspection, it's truly beautiful. The blade was light and slim, almost as thin as a rapier, but not quite, and fine leather patterned the hilt in a diagonal grid. The hilt itself was made of a dark polished wood, and deep purple in color.

When I voiced my concerns about a wooden hilt, Dad chuckled, and I was surprised. He didn't laugh often, but then again, there wasn't much to laugh about. When Dad bought the sword, he had also voiced his concerns about the hilt, but the forger informed him of the charm he'd placed upon it to keep it from cracking and failing. Dad saw the earnest look on his face, and could see the quality of his work. In a heartbeat, the sword was purchased, and he was on his way back to Derris-Kharlan. When he got back, I was still at Yggdrasil's side, and hating every moment of it. Finally, it was dinner time, our special time, and he presented me with a long box. My mouth dropped open, because it could only contain one thing; the thing I'd been aching for since he had begun teaching me swordplay, perhaps longer.

I opened the box, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the shine of the blade. I placed the box carefully back on the table and tackled him in a hug. It wasn't a gesture we allowed ourselves often, but it was definitely appropriate at that point.

'It needs a name,' I said abruptly, and Dad nodded.

'Yes, every good sword should have a name. Make sure it's the right one.'

It took me three weeks to decide on a name, and until I chose the right one, it felt wrong to use it. Dad and I continued our practice, though I was still using the poorly balanced practice swords. Finally, at the start of the fourth week, after a particularly difficult day with Yggdrasil, I knew the name it needed. Dehlayny. Child of dark defiance. How fitting it was.

When I was sixteen, Yggdrasil took notice of my natural talent in swordplay and mind-games and tried to induce the angel transformation on me. Dad refused to let it happen, and we escaped from Derris-Kharlan and descended onto Sylvarant, a few miles from Iselia. We spent a night in the forest as he explained to me what Yggdrasil- what Mithos was plotting. The next morning, Dad led me to Iselia's main gate, and told me they would help me there, that I'd be safe.

'Wait,' I'd protested, 'you're not staying with me?'

'Amethyst, you know I have to go back to Yggdrasil before he finds out what I've done.'

'You're not safe there anymore-' I started to argue, but Dad cut me off.

'If I stay here, you'll be in even more danger.' I turned my head so he wouldn't see my tear-filled eyes, and his tone softened. 'Amie, you'll see me again soon. I promise. Besides, you could learn a thing or two here. I know you've studied the maps of the worlds, but there's nothing like practical hard work.' I scoffed.

'You're such a dad, you know that? When will I see you again?' He hesitated for a second, and I narrowed my eyes.

'When the Chosen begins her journey next year. She lives in this village, you should talk to her.' My mouth dropped open.

'I won't see you for an entire _year?_ What am I supposed to do until then?' He tucked a strand of auburn hair behind my ear.

'The Chosen is leaving for her journey in eight months. Until then, go to school, meet people, make friends. You've wanted to come down to the surface your entire life. At least you've got Dehlayny.'

'Yeah, but I wanted to come down with you!' A tear finally escaped my eye, and I brushed it away impatiently as Dad hugged me tightly.

'I'm sorry, Amie, it just can't happen right now. Until I can convince Mithos that you've died, he's still a threat to you. Make sure you stay out of sight if any Desians come through town.' I nodded miserably.

'I'm going to miss you, Dad,' I whispered, and he hugged me even more tightly.

'I'll miss you too. Before I forget, I managed to get and exsphere out of one of the storage pods. Please use it when you need to. Things could get dangerous.' I nodded and pulled myself out of the hug to accept the exsphere, and slipped it into my empty Key Crest. Instantly, I felt more powerful, but it was well under control.

'I'll see you soon, Amie.' And with that, my father disappeared for eight months.

'Bye, Daddy.' My name is Amethyst Garnet Aurion, and this is my story.

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><p><strong>If you've ever read any of my other work, you'll know that if you review, you'll be Sir Bud to me for life!<br>**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoo, it's been a while. Good to be back, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, blah. Blah. Blah.  
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><p>I awoke with a start at the loud crow of Colette's damn rooster and rolled over to face the window. Ice ran down my spine when I saw light streaming in, and Colette's empty bed.<p>

'Oh, crap.' I flung back the quilt and rocketed downstairs, pausing only to change out of my night clothes and offer a hasty, 'thanks, Prescott!' to the rooster that had saved me from Professor Sage's sharp tongue. I gulped down a glass of juice in record time, leaving it in the sink apologetically for Phaidra, and flew out of the house, pulling on my boots as I half ran, half hopped toward the school. Villagers that I passed along the way grinned, for they'd seen this sight many times. I passed the north gate to see Lloyd running up just as frantically.

'Amie,' he gasped, 'we're gonna be late!'

'Shut up, Lloyd, I know! Stop talking and run faster!' We barreled into the school house just in time to see the Professor's back turned. I smiled. Maybe we could still pull this off. I dropped to my knees and crawled to my seat next to Colette, leaving Lloyd standing there gaping stupidly as the Professor whirled around and glared at him.

'Lloyd, you know the drill. Those buckets won't hold themselves.' Lloyd nodded miserably and started to make his way to the back corner when the Professor stopped him again. 'Wait. Amethyst is not with you?' By this time, I'd made it to my seat and spoke up.

'I'm right here, Professor.' The Professor narrowed her eyes and circled my desk.

'How long have you been sitting there?'

'Um, all class, Professor.' I looked at her almost pleadingly, and she finally looked away, to see Lloyd fast asleep in the corner, still standing, still holding the buckets. She flipped the piece of chalk in her hand, then flicked it toward him, and her aim was true as it smacked him sharply in the temple.

'Lloyd Irving, _wake up_!' He jumped and dropped the buckets with a crash.

'Oh, Professor Raine. Uh, is class over?' I shook my head and clapped a hand to my face. The Professor had a similar reaction. After a bit of scolding and teaching, I saw the thing I'd been waiting for, after eight months of waiting. The oracle. I never thought I'd be so glad to see that monstrosity. It took all of my self-control not to run out of Iselia toward it. The Professor ran out of the room, yelling over her shoulder for us to stay where we were. Hah. No chance.

'Lloyd, you coming? No way I'm staying here while there's adventure out there!' Lloyd grinned and followed me out of the school, Colette and Genis, the Professor's little brother, in tow. As we reached the front north gate again, a couple of monsters leaped out of the bushes at us. In a heartbeat, Lloyd had his swords drawn and defeated them, more than a little clumsily. He turned to Colette and me, and flashed a winning smile.

'Don't worry, you two, I'll protect you!' I bit my lip to hide my laughter. There was no doubt in my mind that I could defeat him as I was now, as weaponless as I was. Genis, not normally one to be left out, piped up.

'Yeah! I will too! Just leave it to us!' I regained my composure and nodded.

'Thanks, you guys. We should stop by Phaidra's, though. There are a couple of things I need to pick up before I leave.' Lloyd shrugged, and we made our way to the house. While the three of them chatted to Phaidra about the oracle, I raced upstairs to pull the elegant wooden box out from under my bed. Inside, just as I left her, lay Dehlayny, in her dark green sheath, still attached to my belt. I took her out of the box and headed back downstairs.

'Ready, you guys?' The three of them nodded, and we left the house once more. On our way to the gate, I fastened the belt around my hips and pulled out my beloved sword, examining her carefully.

'Hello, beautiful,' I murmured as I checked the sharpness of the blade, though it never seemed to dull. In fact, nothing about that sword seemed to falter. The wood was always polished, the leather was always soft, and the blade was always sharp. It was truly a work of art. I slid her back into her sheath, and glanced up to find Lloyd staring at me.

'Where did you get that?' I smiled and ran my fingers along the leather pattern, a habit I'd taken to back on Derris-Kharlan, one that hadn't quite gone away.

'My dad got her for me in Palmacosta.' Well, that was half true, in any case. He didn't actually get her in Palmacosta, not even in Sylvarant. He'd found the merchant in Tethe'alla, somewhere around Ozette. Foolishly, I thought that that was the end of Lloyd's interrogation.

'Yeah, but can you actually use it?' I raised an eyebrow and twirled her gracefully around my fingers a few times before aiming the point at Lloyd's throat.

'You'll just have to wait and see,' I said darkly, and changed my tone swiftly. 'Come on! Time isn't on our side here! Let's get Colette to the temple.' We left the village and quickly arrived at the Martel Temple. As we walked up the path leading to the temple, I was practically leaping up the stairs with excitement. We began our trek up the lengthy stairway, the pastor from the temple staggered down the steps. A large gash ran from his shoulder to his hip, and his robes were singed, a sure sign of a fire. Colette gasped as he collapsed, and she raced to where he had fallen.

'Pastor!' Lloyd came up behind her as she cradled the pastor's head in her lap, either not noticing or not caring that his blood was coating her pants.

'Are you okay?' Lloyd asked in concern, and the pastor groaned.

'The Desians broke the non-aggression treaty and attacked the temple,' he gasped, 'Chosen One… Quickly… The oracle…' He broke off with a wet cough and spit out some blood. Colette ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm him.

'I know,' she said simply. The pastor managed one last nod.

'Please… Be c-careful. I r-regret that I will… not be able to p-protect the… Chosen. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against Colette's hand as life and light left him. My three companions dropped their heads in mourning, while I merely nodded to the lifeless man in front of me in respect.

'Colette…' I said softly, 'we have to go.' I extended a hand to help her up and she took it, then hugged me tightly.

'I know.' She looked up at me with unshed tears in her eyes, then blinked them away. 'I know. Let's go.' Genis's mouth fell open.

'Colette, are you insane? There are Desians in there!'

'Genis.' I stepped down from the stairs and laid a hand on his shoulder. 'She has to go. You're welcome to join us or not. This is the duty of the Chosen. As tragic as it is, the death of others is not an excuse to stop, and the Desians must be faced at some point.'

'Yeah, but-'

'She's right, Genis,' Colette agreed, 'I have to go to accept the oracle on the Day of Prophecy.' Genis still wasn't convinced.

'Lloyd! Are you going to let them go by themselves? We haven't even seen Amie fight yet!' Lloyd shook his head.

'No, I'm going with them. You're right, I haven't seen Amie fight, and a sword in inexperienced hands can make people hurt themselves.' I choked back my laughter and turned back toward the steps.

'Genis, what about you? Could you fight? If it came down to it, could you kill someone?' I felt Genis's stare on my back and turned around. 'If you can't finish what you start, you'll put the rest of us in danger.' My violet eyes were blazing as they cut through the young mage, who nodded meekly.

'I'll fight. I have to protect Colette.' I nodded solemnly.

'Let's go, then.' I turned and walked up the stairs to see Phaidra guarding the entrance of the temple, and three soldiers advancing menacingly.

'Where is the Chosen?' The largest man, who I assumed to be the leader, stepped forward. Phaidra's eyes flickered toward us nervously.

'Run, Colette,' she urged, but one of the soldiers turned before we could make an escape.

'Lord Botta, there she is!' Wait, Botta? I'd heard that name before… The source was just out of reach in my mind. The man, Botta, most likely, turned around slowly. His grizzled face was no doubt handsome before it had seen years of battle, with high cheekbones and sharp eyes.

'Chosen One,' he said in a deep accent, 'your life is mine.' Lloyd drew one of his swords angrily, nearly slicing my arm off in the process. I drew my own sword, the dragon engraving glittering furiously.

'I won't let you Desians get away with _anything_,' he growled, and the nearest one, the one that had spoken, threw his head back and laughed wolfishly.

'Desians? Hah!' Genis scowled.

'What's so funny?'

'Well then, die at the hands of the Desians you so hate,' sneered the man on the other side of Botta, 'get them!' The three of them lunged forward and I readied my sword to defend, my head spinning. These weren't Desians. I'd fought enough of _those_ off to know their techniques by now. These men moved differently, they were more in control of their bodies.

One of the 'Desians' swung his sword downward unexpectedly, changing his target from Lloyd to me, and I barely had enough time to raise Dehlayny to block the blow. We struggled against each other for a while, and I finally pushed him off to the side, jumping out of the way when he used his momentum to swing back around to try and get a gash in. This left his left side completely open, and I saw the soft spot in his side where the armor didn't quite reach, and took my chance, piercing it with Dehlayny's tip, enough to wound him badly, but not enough to kill him. He gasped as the wind blew my long auburn locks out of my face.

'You! You're…' Fear took over pain in his face, and he called out to his companion. 'Fall back! She's a higher power!' The two of them hobbled back into the temple as quickly as they could. Apparently Lloyd had given the other a run for his money. I raked a hand across my scalp as I saw a large man exiting the temple with a mace and hammer. This could be tough. I nodded to Lloyd, and we tensed as he spoke.

'Do not get in our way,' he said gruffly as he began to swing the mace above his head. Okay, that complicated things a little.

'Genis! Distract him with magic!' I yelled, and turned to the young Chosen. 'Colette, you protect him while he does! Lloyd, let's get as close as we can with that thing in there.' Everyone nodded, and we took our positions. Thankfully, he lacked in speed what he had in strength, but Lloyd and I still couldn't get in a single hit, even with Genis's magic. I risked a glance at Lloyd, and he was just as frustrated as I was. Just as I looked back, I saw the hammer come my way, and it collided heavily with my hand, knocking Dehlayny down the stairs.

'Oh, shit!' I retreated to examine my hand, knowing that Lloyd could evade the large man's attacks easily. There was no doubt that it was broken, and it was already a considerable amount larger than its right hand counterpart. I cursed. This was going to knock my training back for a few weeks, something I couldn't afford. To my horror, I saw Lloyd kneeling on the ground in exhaustion, flanked by Colette and Genis.

'This guy is really tough,' Lloyd noted through gritted teeth, and closed his eyes as the soldier spun the mace again. Just as the mace started to fly toward him, a longsword knocked it out of the way, sending it to the ground. My heart leapt. He was wearing travelling clothes, but it was still him. My dad. He tossed Dehlayny back to me, having picked it up near the stairs.

'Think you can fight with your other hand?' he asked gruffly, and I nodded curtly. I staggered to my feet, holding my injured hand close to my chest as I bit back the pain and joined Dad and Lloyd, who stood beside him. We immersed ourselves in the battle, three being more effective than two, vanquished him quickly. Dad slid his sword back into its sheath and turned to me, then gently picked up my hand.

'First Aid, he muttered, and I felt the tiny bones pop back into place and heal themselves, not painlessly. My eyes flicked up to his and a smile grew on my face.

'Haven't seen you in a while,' I said casually.

'I've had things to do.' My smiled turned to a full blown grin as I sheathed my own sword and I flung my arms around his neck in a hug that he fully returned.

'I really missed you, Dad.'

'I know. I'm sorry I took so long. I've missed you too.'

'Wait, Amie. This guy's your _dad_?' I nodded and flexed my hand experimentally. It was still sore, but at least I could fight.

'He's been away guarding a pilgrimage for the past eight months. That's why I came to Iselia.' Lloyd, surprisingly, accepted this, just as Dad's Cruxis Crystal caught the light.

'Hey, is that an Exsphere?' Dad was saved from answering by Phaidra shuffling towards us.

'How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen?' she wheezed at Dad, who feigned a surprised look.

'Hmm. So this girl is the next Chosen…' Colette leaped forward and grinned.

'That's right! I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now.' Lloyd frowned.

'What trial?'

'The monsters,' I mused, 'something weird's going on in that chapel.' Phaidra nodded.

'It is as the young one says. The Chosen is to receive judgement from heaven… But the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians.'

'But those weren't-' I was cut off by a sharp kick to my leg, and I knew Dad was trying to keep me from saying too much. At that moment, Lloyd decided to be a hero.

'Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette,' he said proudly, and Phaidra hesitated.

'Lloyd? I would be uneasy with just you…' Behind me, Dad stiffened.

'Your name is Lloyd?' The young swordsman bristled, and I knew what was coming next.

'Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?'

'I am Kratos, a travelling mercenary- though you already knew that.' I winced, and he turned to Phaidra. 'If you can pay me, I'll accept the job of guarding the Chosen.'

'I suppose I have little choice,' she said reluctantly. 'Please be of service.' Dad nodded.

'It's a deal, then.'

'Wait!' Lloyd's voice rang out sharply. 'I'm going too.'

'Lloyd, you're only going to get in the way.' I said, turning toward the open door of the temple. 'Take Genis home and go wait with Frank.' Lloyd scoffed.

'No way. If you don't let me come with you, I'll just follow you on my own.'

'Fine, do as you like,' Dad said with a huff. 'Amie, you are to take the young one home.' I reeled back in shock and pushed my hair out of my eyes.

'I don't think so! I'm coming with you!' I said sharply, but Dad shook his head.

'You're not yet ready. Take the young one home, and wait at the house of the Chosen. Once the Chosen has undergone the trial, I will accompany her back to the village.' I let out a mirthless laugh.

'_I'm_ not ready, but Lloyd is?'

'Yes.' Rage was building in my throat.

'That's all you have to say after eight months? You stuck me in this tiny village with no warning and took off to Martel knows where, leaving me to create an entirely new life and _that's_ how you greet me again?' Dad's expression darkened, and he strode toward me.

'You are not yet ready. You lack defensive skills, and you focus on one enemy rather than working together with your comrades. Take the young one home.' I set my jaw, ready to protest, then changed my mind and turned on my heel, stalking down the stairs.

'Come on, Genis, let's go.' Genis, who had been looking upon the scene before him with wary eyes, jumped at the sound of his name.

'Um, yeah okay.' I stalked down the stairs, fuming. As we went, I heard Lloyd exclaim something about exspheres, but to be honest, at the moment I couldn't bring myself to care.

On the way back to the village, though we met few monsters, I took out my anger on them, abandoning my training and killing them mercilessly, sometimes not even bothering to finish them off properly. I stormed into the village, sheathing Dehlayny as I went.

'So, uh, I'll see you later, Amie!' When I heard Genis's small frightened voice, something inside me changed, and I immediately softened.

'Oh, Genis,' I said as I made my way over to him, 'I'm so sorry.' I pulled him into a quick hug and left before he could say a word. Colette's house wasn't far, so I ran the whole way there, tears pricking at the back of my eyes.

'_No_,' I thought, '_I will not cry from this_.' What I needed was a distraction. My glass was still in the sink from this morning, and Frank and Phaidra's breakfast dishes were now there as well. Perfect. I put Dehlayny back in her box upstairs after I cleaned the blood from the monsters off of her. As I came back down the stairs, I missed the last step and slipped, spraining my ankle painfully.

'Oh, for the love of- sweet Martel, who the hell are you?' A young man, perhaps four or five years older than me was leaning against the kitchen counter.

'Ah, I've been wondering when you'd notice me,' he said in a lilting tenor voice. 'Granted, I _did_ hide when you came through the door, but you looked like you were ready to murder someone. Also, you had a sword. Not particularly fond of women with swords…'

'Who are you? Where are Frank and Phaidra?' My voice was shaky, and I was still sitting on the floor clutching my leg.

'I don't know who you're talking about, but the house has been empty since I got here. Now, you don't have any other concealed weapons on you, do you? Because I think you'll actually try to murder me in a moment…' He crossed the kitchen and kneeled down beside me, pushing my hands out of the way gently. A faint aura appeared around him, and the pain in my leg faded.

'First Aid,' he muttered, and sprang away as soon as the spell was finished. I staggered to my feet clumsily and edged to the opposite side of the room.

'Why won't you answer me? Who are you?'

'You know, in many cultures, it's considered polite to thank someone when they help you. It's also often considered rude when one's house is messy when hosting guests.' He gestured to the sink, which was now filled with dishes.

'I make a habit out of only thanking people when gratitude is genuine. You, on the other hand, broke into my house, dirtied my kitchen with your _own_ dishes, and quite frankly, scared the living daylights out of me.' The man chuckled.

'You noticed that, huh? Well, I suppose I can clean up after myself, but it's your job to do the rest of these.' I narrowed my eyes, but moved over to the sink nonetheless, which was already filled with water and soap. The mysterious intruder reached down into the sink and pulled out the bread knife, placing it on his other side with a smile.

'Wouldn't want you around me with sharp objects,' he teased, but it wasn't malicious. For some reason, though I didn't know anything about him, conversation between us was very easy, and I eventually relaxed into our task, sometimes washing, sometimes drying. More than once, our hands brushed in the murky dishwater, and an odd something twinged in my stomach.

'So,' I tried again, 'who exactly are you?' If it weren't for our close proximity, I would've missed the corner of his mouth turning up as his eyes flicked toward me, then back out the window.

'All in good time, grasshopper.' He dried his hands on a clean towel and rested them on my shoulders. 'You'll see me again, Amethyst.'

'Amie,' I corrected gently, 'just call me Amie.' He smiled.

'As you wish… Amie.' The slight weight on my shoulders vanished, and before I knew it, the house was empty once more.

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><p><strong>Review and you'll be Sir Bud!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Believe it or not, this is a FAST update for me. And since I spent all my brainpower on this chapter, I can't think of anything witty to say. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except for Amie. She's MINE, dammit!**

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><p>I staggered back against the counter, my breathing shallow, palms sweaty, and mind racing. The dishes were still on the counter, ready to be put back into the cupboards. As I replaced the dishes, the door swung open, revealing Colette and Lloyd. The young swordsman pushed past his friend and extended his fist toward me.<p>

'Amie, look! Look what I found in the temple!' A garish ring adorned his little finger, and I frowned.

'I don't… What is it?'

'It's the Sorcerer's Ring! It shoots fire, too! Watch this!' He raised his arm, but I quickly shoved it back down.

'Not in the house, Lloyd. Show me later.' The door creaked open, and Dad swept into the room.

'Amie.' It was obvious he wanted to say more, but I brushed past him and walked out into the village. Just as I got to the edge of town, Dad caught up to me.

'You know why you couldn't come with me today.' It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway.

'Yeah, because even though I've been practicing swordplay since I was seven years old, I'm not as good as some country bumpkin that lives on the outskirts of town. Do you know how many times I've seen him fight? He's clumsy and leaves his defense wide open.' I swiped a hand over my face. 'Why did you let him come along?' I wasn't expecting a straight answer, but I got one anyway.

'Because you're all I have left in my life,' he said, barely audible. 'Ever since your mother… Ever since we went up to Derris-Kharlan, It's _your_ existence that has kept me sane.'

'Can I come with you?' I asked hopefully, but Dad shook his head.

'Amie, you are not yet ready.'

'Then teach me. Teach me how to defend, how to work with my comrades. I can't be stuck here without you anymore. I need to see the world.' He hesitated, then drew his sword.

'Prepare yourself.' He lunged toward me, barely giving me enough time to dodge the sharp blade.

'W-wait! I'm unarmed!' l leapt to the side as his sword came crashing down next to me once more.

'This is not about counter-attacks. You must learn agility, speed and defense.' Again, I moved to avoid the sword. 'In the heat of battle, your weapon may be knocked away, and you will be useless to yourself and you comrades. If that happens, either remove yourself from the fray or figure out how to retrieve your weapon.' He sliced through the air horizontally, and I jumped over it in a panic.

'Focus,' Dad barked, 'you are not using your body effectively.'

'Well, maybe I'd be able to if you weren't attacking so quickly.' I returned in a sharp tone. 'You aren't leaving me enough time to prepare myself!' He snorted.

'And you think that a monster, or bandit, or member of Cruxis will leave you time to prepare? They are out to take your life, Amethyst.'

'I know, I know. Just… Just let me be alone for a while.' Dad sighed and sheathed his sword.

'Very well. Return to the house of the Chosen if you wish to speak to me.' He turned and walked back into the village as I walked into the trees. I slumped to the ground and drew my knees up to my chest, not sure how to feel. Frustrated? Check. Angry? Double check. Sad? Well, I wasn't sure.

'Family troubles?' I leapt to my feet and spun around, only to see a pair of ice-blue eyes inches away from my face, staring at me intently.

'Mar_tel_! _Must_ you do that?' He grinned.

'Well, I have to get my fill before you're armed again. Your reflexes are excellent for a member of Cruxis,' he said casually. My stomach turned to ice.

'I-I don't know what you're talking about,' I lied, trying to keep my voice steady. My visitor from this morning smirked.

'Of course you do. You're Amethyst Aurion, daughter of Kratos, and advisor to Yggdrasil. You're the daughter of Cruxis, didn't you know?' I edged away from him carefully, glancing around to find anything I could use as a weapon.

'So, you've come to kill me then?' The blue eyes widened.

'Kill you? Oh no, my dear. I've come to recruit you! You're a wanted fugitive from Cruxis, aren't you? Our leader has been watching you for a long time, you know. You gave us quite a run for our money up at that temple.' I think he regretted saying that the second it left his lips.

'Excuse me? You're telling me that _your_ soldiers were the ones who attacked the temple? You damn near killed me!'

'That wasn't our intent. We didn't know someone so high up in Cruxis would be present. And then Kratos showed up and screwed all of our plans… All we intended to do was assassinate the Chosen.'

'So, you're trying to get me to join an enemy force, knowing nothing about it except that it's trying to kill my friend? Yeah, no thanks.' I turned on my heel and stalked back to the village. I turned left as soon as I entered; heading straight upstairs once I got to my temporary home.

'Hi, Amie!' Colette's cheerful voice reached my ears, and I jumped.

'Oh, uh, hi.' I noticed the mayor of Iselia and Dad sitting at the kitchen table, and I frowned. 'What's going on?' I asked, trying to sound like I hadn't just been talking about assassinating Colette.

'Oh, they're just deciding on who will accompany me on my journey. Professor Sage insisted she come along, and it looks like Kratos is protecting me as well.'

'Wait, I want to go, too! I want to see Colette regenerate the world!' Lloyd's brash tone broke into the conversation, but Dad shook his head.

'No. You'll get in the way.' Lloyd opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off.

'Dad, let him come along with you. He must have proved himself useful at the temple earlier. You can always use another fighter in a group anyway. I'll… I'll stay here and watch Genis.' I didn't know why I'd said that, because I wanted more than anything to accompany Colette, but something I said triggered his stubborn side.

'No. He will not come. You, however, will travel with us.' My heart leapt.

'B-but why? A moment ago, I was a clumsy mess in your eyes. What changed?'

'Hey, what gives?' A certain dual swordsman stepped up beside me. '_I'm_ not allowed to go, but you let her on without a second thought?' Dad's eyes darkened, and he stood up from his chair.

'She is stronger, faster and smarter than you. Does there need to be another reason?'

'Yeah, there does. Colette is my best friend, and if you think I'm just going to stand around and wait while she- '

'The Chosen will be in danger no matter where she goes.'

'That's why I need to protect her,' Lloyd protested, slamming his fist into his palm, 'I mean, the more people protecting her, the safer she'll be, right?' I shook my head.

'Not necessarily, Lloyd. A lot of people are looking for Colette, and most of them are trying to kill her,' I explained without thinking, and realized what I'd said halfway through. 'I mean, probably. The smaller the group, the better,' I finished lamely.

Miraculously, nobody seemed to notice my slip of the tongue, and for the rest of the conversation- though it was more of an argument - I kept my mouth shut and stood back from the table. Finally, the mayor spoke up.

'Kratos is absolutely right. The Journey is not for children. Now, we still have things to discuss. You three should go on home.' I'd never really liked the mayor, and the way he spoke of the regeneration journey made it sound a little too momentous. I stared at him coldly.

'I live here.' I said in a flat tone, raising an eyebrow as I did so. Panic flashed across the mayor's face, either in fear of his apathy for the villagers being discovered, or in fear of me.

'Ah, yes, well, perhaps you should accompany the young one to his house. Make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Elves, you never know what they're up to. Almost as bad as half-elves.' A murderous look took over my features, and I took a step toward him.

'His _name_ is Genis Sage. He's the smartest person I know, and one of the kindest. You could learn a thing from him, you stupid, ignorant, bas-'

'Amie!' Dad's voice cut through mine easily. 'Please, take Mr. Sage home. I will have a chat with the mayor in due time.' I pushed past the mayor, who was standing closer to the door than I was, sending him spinning into the kitchen counter. The screen door almost buckled under the force I used to fling it open, and Lloyd and Genis followed me warily.

'Lloyd. Give me one of your swords.' The swordsman flinched and took a step back.

'Why?'

'I need to stab something.' He shook his head.

'You're too angry. You'll hurt someone. Or, you know, yourself.'

'I'm fine. Look, there's a practice dummy outside my house. Just one good stab and I'll be fine.' Lloyd nodded.

'All right, you win. Just don't get carried away.' We made our way to the back of the house, where the dummy was waiting, unaware of the fury that was about to be unleashed upon it. Lloyd pulled one of his swords out of its sheath, and I revelled in the metal song that played every time a blade was released. Of course, Lloyd's swords weren't as high a quality as Dehlayny, so their song was a bit rough, but I took the sword with a steady hand.

'Back away, please,' I instructed, and turned toward the straw-filled sack on a stick. 'You are about to feel a world of hurt, my friend,' I said, and charged toward it, plunging the sword in up to its hilt, then sliced through the frayed fabric. A large gash was left in its place, and straw was spilling out. For good measure, I kicked the wood pole that was holding it up, hearing with satisfaction a crack. I turned back to Lloyd and Genis, a little out of breath and tossed the sword on the ground.

'There. You can have it back now. I'm good.' I walked over to the tree that stretched up to my bedroom window and scaled it easily. 'Be good now, kids,' I called before I leaped the small gap between the tree and the house. Once I was inside, I buckled Dehlayny's belt around my hips and headed downstairs. Much to my despair, the mayor was still inside.

'Wh-what are you doing here,' he sputtered like an idiot, 'you just left through the front door!'

'And now I'm back here. Wonderful observation,' I said, my tone laced with venom. 'Now, what is our strategy for tomorrow morning? I assume we're giving the villagers a decoy departure time so we can leave early?' I glanced up at Dad, who had a faint smile on his face.

'We're leaving at noon,' he said simply.

'Ah, but we're not. We're leaving at six. The villagers think we're leaving at noon, correct?' Dad's smile grew a little.

'Yes, good work. Professor Sage will meet us at the south gate at six-fifteen, and from there, we will travel to Triet. I will spend the night in the forest, and you and the Chosen will join me by the look-out tower. Take different routes to avoid suspicion. If you need to pack supplies, now is the time to do it. I nodded and caught the mayor's eye by accident, but I was never one to break eye-contact. I stared him down with my right hand resting on my sword casually. My gaze proved to be too much for him, and he dropped his eyes.

'I'm going to the general store. What do I need?'

'Two canteens, three apple gels, two orange gels and a life bottle. Our food is packed, courtesy of Professor Sage, and-'

'Wait. The Professor's bringing the food?' Dad cocked his head.

'Yes… Is there a problem?'

'Uh, not really, as long as someone else prepares it,' I muttered as I pulled out my weighty bag of Gald. 'How much should that come to?' Reddish-brown eyes narrowed.

'How did you come across that much money, Amethyst?'

'Um, I…' I fumbled for words. The truth was that I earned the money on mercenary work. Nothing dangerous, just taking care of a few wolves on the outskirts of town, or protecting a pilgrimage that was going to the Martel Temple. If I told Dad that, though, he'd hit the roof.

'Mercenary work,' he said in a low voice. 'How much did you do?'

'Only a bit,' I said, 'and it wasn't dangerous. It was more dangerous on- before.' To my surprise, my father nodded.

I suppose you needed a way to make money. And you're right, it was more dangerous before. Just don't do any more, all right?' I nodded and left the house, making a sharp left and entering the general store.

'Hiya, Amie!' Walter's energetic voice greeted me as I stepped over the threshold. 'What can I do for ya today?' I smiled.

'Just here to pick up some supplies for Colette's journey tomorrow,' I said with a smile, 'she's leaving at noon, are you coming to see her off?' Okay, so _most_ of what I said was true. Walter grinned.

'You bet I am! Now, what do you need?' I picked out my items and paid for them and, noticing how happy the Gald made the young shopkeeper, I was glad I could help him out. On my way back to town, I noticed my companions for the next few months making their way to the north gate.

'Where is everyone going? It's almost dusk.'

'Colette wants to say goodbye to Lloyd,' the Professor muttered in my ear, making sure Genis wouldn't overhear. I nodded.

'You'll be all right without me, right? I just want to go to bed. Tell Lloyd I'll miss him, will you?' The Professor nodded.

'Very well. Have a good sleep, Amethyst.' I smiled and walked back to the house, but when I arrived, I felt someone watching me.

'Show yourself, I demanded, but nobody was revealed. I frowned and walked toward the gate. 'Must've been my imagination,' I muttered , then a twig snapped. _That_ certainly wasn't my imagination. I drew my sword and turned around in a flash.

'Who are you working for?' I spoke before I had a chance to think, and my eyes settled on a pair of startled blue ones. 'Oh Martel, you've got to be joking.'

'I know you're leaving on the regeneration journey tomorrow, and I just wanted to give you another chance to accept my offer.' I glared at him.

'Why would I do that, you swine?' I flicked the tip of Dehlayny toward his throat, and he swallowed.

'Hey, there's no need for name-calling. Oh, Martel.' Only then did I notice that his eyes were not focused on my face.

'It's twenty Gald to ogle, pervert.' I rested the tip against his throat, and he chuckled. 'You're being awfully cavalier for someone with a sword to their throat.'

'I wasn't staring at your chest, I was staring at your sword,' he clarified, and I lowered my sword a hair. 'Although,' he continued, 'kudos on the lovely ladies.' In a flash, My weight was on the balls of my feet, and I skirted around him. I was about to land a blow when his own sword clashed against mine.

'See, this is why I don't like women with swords,' he grunted, 'it makes everything so difficult to discuss.' I leaped back to figure out a strategy, my mind spinning. I was so disoriented, I barely had time to get my sword up to block his attack.

'I thought you wanted to discuss,' I said sarcastically, and he chuckled.

'Well, I certainly can't do that right now, can I? I seem to be fighting for my life.' He drew his sword back, attempting to slice horizontally, leaving me little time to adjust to the new position.

'You wouldn't be if you weren't trying to kill my friend.'

'I'm not trying to kill her, necessarily, just stop her from breaking the seals. Gotta take care of myself first, you know?' I lifted my blade and quickly jumped over his, then kicked his feet out from under him.

He landed with a thud on his back, and I kicked his sword away before he could grab it. Once again, there was a blade at his throat.

'No. I don't know. It's called loyalty, and I tend to stick to it. You could learn a bit, you double-crossing prick.' I sheathed my sword and began to stalk away, when his hand caught my wrist, and before I knew what was happening, another hand was in my hair and lips were on mine. My own hands came up to his shirt, originally to push him away, but the rational part of my brain had been stripped away, and I found myself pulling him closer. His hand left my wrist and snaked around my back, drawing me into his torso.

Too soon, we broke apart and jumped away from each other.

'W-what the hell?' I spoke first, my hand unconsciously travelling to my lips.

'Think about my offer. I don't want to have to kill you,' he said without a hint of humour. I smirked.

'Such a gentleman.' A smile flickered across his face, and I realized I didn't even care what his name was.

'See you later, Amie.'

'See you later, Mr. Mystery.' His smile broadened as he picked up his sword.

'I suppose that's a fitting name. He turned his head to look deeper into the forest. 'I'm afraid I must take my leave, fair lady,' he said with a wink, and disappeared into the trees.

I swivelled back toward the village and walked back home dead on my feet. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I was shaken awake by Colette a few hours later, who, after seeing I was conscious, sat back down in the small rocking chair and checked the sharpness of her chakrams.

'What time is it?' I asked, sleep threatening to overtake me once more as it invaded my voice.

'It's quarter to six. We need to figure out our routes to Kratos and pack our bags.' I nodded and ran my thumb over the diamond pattern on Dehlayny's hilt.

'I'll take the west route past the school and the mayor's house,' I suggested, 'why don't you take the short way past the general store?'

'Sounds good,' my friend chirped, 'Kratos is meeting us at the gate, right?'

'That's what he said, so I guess so.' I released Dehlayny from her sheath and checked her sharpness, even though I knew she was already a razor. I took a deep breath and slung my bag over my shoulder. We crept downstairs and out of the house without a sound and readied ourselves. I squeezed the Chosen's hand and skulked west, toward the school, keeping to the shadows as well as I could. A dog barked in the distance, and I jumped like a rabbit. My nerves were shot.

Finally, I made it to the gate and crawled under the fence beside it, trying not to arouse suspicion, as the gate itself was locked.

'Graceful,' a deep voice said beside me dryly, and I almost screamed.

'_Dad!'_ I whispered furiously, 'don't _do_ that! I could've taken your arm off.' Even through the darkness, I could tell he was smirking.

'I think we both know that wouldn't have happened, love.' My mouth fell open at his easy use of the old term of endearment.

'You haven't called me that since Mom died,' I said in a small voice, and his heavy hand fell onto my shoulder.

'How can you remember that? You were only four when she died.'

'I guess I just have a good memory,' I shrugged. 'Why isn't Colette here yet? We left at the same time.'

'I'm here, Amie!' The bright voice came from behind the gate. 'How did you get over there?'

'Just climb over, Colette, it's not too high.'

'Oh, right. Um, like this?' She placed her boot on a sturdy beam and flung herself over, hitting the ground with a thud. 'Oops.' I laughed and pulled her up.

'See?' I nudged Dad, '_that's_ graceful.' I received a blank stare in return, and sighed. It was rare that he would play along with my jokes, but it always hurt when he didn't. Just then, the Professor arrived, placing her hand on the top bar of the gate and swinging herself over easily.

'Shall we get going?' she asked, all business, 'it's almost sunup.' Dad nodded, and we set off. Soon enough, I was trudging across the dirt, as was Colette, and the two adults were talking in low voices ahead of us.

'So, what do you think the temple will be like?' I asked my younger friend, and she brightened.

'Oh, it'll probably be filled with adventure,' she exclaimed, and I laughed at her excitement.

'Don't you ever get scared? I mean, there will be a lot of monsters in there, right?' I wasn't trying to scare her, but my comment rolled off her back anyway.

'Of course I get scared. But what's worse, fighting a few monsters, or being stuck at home, bored out of my skull?' Another laugh escaped my throat.

'I suppose you're right. And I suppose I've always held a bit of a violent streak in me as well.' I spoke without thinking, and when I saw Dad's hand twitch, I knew he'd heard me. 'I mean,' I started, glossing over my mistake quickly, 'I love training, and this is what the training's for, right?'

'Yeah, it's nice to have a goal to work toward.' She paused and giggled. 'I remember Lloyd telling me that his dad made him memorize a Dwarven Vow every night before supper, and if he couldn't remember it, he didn't get to eat.' My laughter rang out loudly this time, bouncing off the rocks around us.

'I bet he memorized them pretty quickly after that first missed meal, right?' Colette's giggle changed to a real laugh, then, and she nodded.

'I think he only missed one meal, and the next day, he said he was wasting away to nothing.' We continued reminiscing about our time in Iselia together, and before I knew it, sand was under my feet.

'Hey, is that Triet?' My voice was hopeful, and Dad turned around.

'That's Triet. Let's stop to rest in the inn for a bit, then I strongly recommend we go to the Triet Ruins.'

When we reached the city, Dad checked us in at the hotel, and after a long nap, Colette and I went to sightsee. My experience with the surface was only Iselia, and I'd never seen so many people in my life. The market was buzzing with excitement, and I couldn't help but be swept up by it. A man behind a stall called out to me.

'Pretty flower for the pretty lady?' I smiled and shook my head politely.

'No thank you, I haven't got any Gald on me.' The man grinned wolfishly and held out a delicate red flower.

'Here, no charge. Red for _l'amour_, see?' My voice took on a playful tone.

'A very good try, good sir. I will take your flower, even though it doesn't match anything I'm wearing.' I gestured down at my deep green coat and black pants.

'Ah, you are mistaken, _mademoiselle_. Your fine auburn locks and violet eyes tell a different story.' He pinned the flower into my hair and smiled. '_Tr__é__s belle_.' I leaned forward and pecked the man on the cheek.

'Thank you,' I said with sincerity, and wandered around until I found Colette, who was sitting in a pile of debris.

'Do I want to know what happened?' I asked in a teasing tone, and Colette looked around frantically.

'I tripped over sand, and I fell into this house, and I broke it!' Despite my resolve, I burst out laughing, leaning against the side of the house for support. 'Hey, it's not funny! What if the owners come back and they see a big hole in the side of their house?' As if on cue, a woman pushed her way through the crowd.

'Oh, mercy,' she cried when she saw the hole in her house, 'what have you done, child?' Colette hung her head, and I composed myself.

'I apologize. I was escorting the Chosen through the market when a man bumped her into your fine abode. I will take it upon myself to pay for the damages. My name is Amethyst.' I extended a hand to the woman, who looked horrified.

'Oh, Martel! The Chosen! A thousand apologies, don't concern yourself with my humble home. I will repair it myself.'

'Nonsense,' I countered easily, 'I will arrange for your house to be repaired in due time. Meanwhile, I'm afraid the damage will have to remain for a short while. We have business to attend to outside of the city, you see.' Colette got to her feet and smiled at the woman.

'What is your name, ma'am?'

'Alia,' she replied, and bowed respectfully.

'Oh, please don't! I'm just like you, Alia. I'd love to talk further, but we really do have to go. When we return to town, we will pay a visit, okay?'

'Thank you so much, Chosen. How can I possibly repay you?' Colette beamed.

'Just take care of yourself and our world, and that will be enough.' We said our farewells and returned to the centre square, just in time to see a familiar face run up to us in a panic.

'Amie! Colette! You've gotta help us, Lloyd got caught!'

'Genis, what the hell are you doing here?' I demanded, but he shook his head.

'We don't have time! Where's Raine?'

I don't know, probably in the inn, go get her and Da- Kratos.' Genis nodded and rushed off, nearly tripping in his haste. A low whine sounded behind me, and I turned to see the old protozoan behind me.

'Noishe! Why didn't you stop them?' He let out a warning growl, and I nodded.

'You're right, that's not important now.' I jumped on his back as Genis returned.

'They're on their way,' he said breathlessly. 'Noishe is letting you ride him?'

'Not important,' said dismissively, 'where did they take Lloyd?'

'North-east, to some kind base. They looked like Desians.' I cursed under my breath.

'Take Kratos and the Professor to the base for backup. I'm going to break him out of there.' Before anyone could protest, I urged Noishe forward and we shot out of town. Sand blasted my face as we raced through the desert. Finally, we reached the base, and I jumped to the ground.

'This is where they took Lloyd? Through here?' Noishe barked, and I patted his head. 'Thanks, buddy. Bring the others here, fast as you can, okay?' My companion turned and sprinted away. I took a deep breath and faced the base. This could be challenging.

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><p><strong>WHOAAAAAAA!<strong>

**Review, and you'll be Sir bud! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**And now for the barely-awaited chapter four! I have to do a little promotion here, and I apologize. However, the first chapter of my newly revamped original 'Sparks' is now up on Fanfiction and Fictionpress for your viewing convenience! Seriously, you'll be Sir Bid forever if you read it. Oh, and the swearing in this chapter is a little more... prominent that I usually write. So, PG-13.  
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**I don't own the Tales characters. Duh.  
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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

I'd been crawling through an air duct for fifteen minutes looking for the red-clad dual swordsman with no luck. Also, I'd gotten sufficiently lost. The method I'd taken to was turning randomly whenever I could, and that hadn't worked out well. After covering my coat and hair in dust, I heard a silky voice directly below me.

'And just who the hell are you?' All I could see of the speaker was a dark cape, but I knew the voice from somewhere.

'Give me your name, and I shall give you mine,' said another voice, one that was unmistakable.

'Ha ha ha! You certainly have guts,' laughed the first voice, and suddenly, it made sense.

'Uncle Yuan?' I whispered to myself in confusion, 'why is he here?' Yuan was a friend of my father's, and he visited us regularly in Iselia. He'd always been amused by my antics, and he laughed often. While I was having a mental breakdown in the duct, Lloyd and Yuan continued arguing.

'An Exsphere? You're Lloyd?'

'And if I am?' Yuan came into view, examining Lloyd closely.

'Hmm, I can see the resemblance,' he mused, and I moved closer to the grate, trying to hear better. What I didn't know was that it wasn't bolted into place, and I fell ten feet to the floor, landing on my knees.

'You,' he hissed, 'what the _hell_ are you doing here?'

'I could ask you the same thing, traitor. I came to get my friend back.'

'You tell Kratos anything, I will destroy you.'

'You wouldn't dare. Get out of my sight, swine.' Just then, Botta, the formerly handsome man from the temple, rushed in.

'Sir, we've received reports that the Chosen's group has infiltrated the facility.'

'You dolt! Of course they have, can't you see?' He pointed at me. 'Amethyst, join me. I don't want to kill you.' Everything clicked into place when he said that. Mr. Mystery, the Desian-like base, Yuan, the attack on the temple. It was all connected. I staggered back from my childhood friend with a gasp.

'You- you're trying to-' I tried to talk to Yuan, but he was already leaving the room. My body was turning numb, and I fled the room. I ducked into an empty corridor and curled into a ball. How was this happening? I trusted Yuan, and he betrayed me. He was supposed to be working against Yggdrasil, not me. I could feel consciousness leaving my body, and before I let myself slip under, a pair of strong arms encircled me and lifted me from the ground.

I awoke on a soft surface, its warmth soothing my aching muscles, and I nestled into it further, trying to slip back into a dreamless state to no avail. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, expecting to find an empty room, or at the very least, my father. Instead, I saw a splash of deep blue and cursed.

'Why am I here, Yuan? Why don't you just kill me?'

'You are far too valuable to kill, Amie.'

'That's Amethyst to you, Ka-Fai. You lost the right to call me Amie when you betrayed us.'

'Don't be so cold, Amie. You'll find that my loyalty to you has remained unscathed.'

'Don't lie to me. Trying to kill the Chosen? My best friend? Remember when you filled that role, fifteen years ago?'

'You were four years old, Amie! The only other person you had besides your parents was your little brother!' He realized his mistake a few moments later. 'Shit.'

'I have a brother? Why wasn't I informed of this? It seems like I'd be privy to that kind of information.'

'I assume your father thought you were too weak to handle the information,' he said with a hint of cruelty, and my last nerve snapped.

'Shut up! You don't know anything,' I screamed, 'I'll kill you! I'll kill you with my bare hands, and your damn guards won't be able to do anything about it!' I made to stand up, but my wrist jerked me back. I glanced down to see a set of handcuffs binding my left wrist, the one I needed, to a rail on the bed.

'You bastard,' I hissed, 'let me go.' Yuan shook his head.

'If I let you go, you'll try and kill me. You're staying put.' I was shaking with fury.

'What of my father? Does he think I'm dead?' Yuan stayed silent, and I screamed one long furious, hurt scream.

'How could you? How could you _fucking_ do that to him? I'm all he has left, and you _know_ that! I will rip your throat out and cut you to bits, you son of a bitch!' Yuan left the room without another word, and I strained against the cuffs, and then, finding no way out, cried myself unconscious.

When I awoke, my Mystery was sitting in an armchair near the bed.

'What do you want?' I wheezed, my voice hoarse from screaming at Yuan.

'I can't let you go,' he said sadly, 'I would lose my status in the organization, and I would be less than useless to you.'

'My father thinks I'm dead.' I felt a lump rising in my throat, and tears threatened to spill over.

'I know.'

I'm afraid he's given up.'

'I know.'

'I need to go back.'

'You can't.'

'Please. Please let me go back. I'll do anything. I'll become a double agent, just let me go back. He needs to know I'm alive.' I was pleading now, and the tears were running freely down my face. He stood up and pulled a key out of his pocket.

'I will let you go.' I was shocked.

'Y-you will? Do I need to sign a contract?'

'Unless you want to work with us, I will not hire you.'

'Why not?'

'You need to see your father. Something I couldn't have.' There was a click, and blood rushed back to my hand. 'Go. Hurry, before anyone notices you're gone.' I rocketed off the bed and kissed him full on the lips. Once again, his arms encircled me, just like that day in the woods, and he pushed me back against the wall. We kissed frantically until a sound was heard in the next room, and we jumped apart.

'Up there,' he pointed to the ceiling, where a duct was hidden. I nodded, and he gave me a boost up into the small hole. He passed me my sword and replaced the grate. Before I could protest, he laid down in the bed and cuffed himself where I was once imprisoned. Guards rushed into the room and my Mystery shrugged.

'She's a lot stronger than she looks.' I smiled and began searching through the maze of tunnels for the way out.

Thirty minutes later, I'd found an exit and ran for my life away from the base, looking for Triet. By the time I made it back, night had fallen. I dragged myself to the inn and leaned heavily on the reception desk, my sword arm in agony from the cuff, my head spinning, and my clothes dirty. My hair was matted and tangled, and the woman behind the counter gasped.

'Amethyst? Goodness, what happened to you?' I glanced up and squinted to see her.

'Alia?' I croaked, 'is that you?'

'Yes, child. For heaven's sake, you must rest.' I shook my head.

'No time. Has the Chosen left the city?'

'Y-yes, but-'

'Which way are the Triet ruins?' I asked, cutting her off.

'Southwest, but you're in no condition to travel that far. It'll take you all night.'

'I have to find the Chosen,' I insisted, and pushed myself off the desk with my bad hand. 'Oh Martel, I forgot about that,' I hissed.

'Wait,' Alia's voice sounded behind me, and I turned. 'At least take this.' She handed me an apple gel and I smiled, ignoring the pain of my dry, cracked lips.

'Thank you. I promise I will return safely. I can't leave your house in a state like that anyway.' We locked eyes for a moment, and then I left, walking straight out of the city toward the ruins.

It took me all night, and by the time I saw a small fire, I was swaying on my feet. I dropped to my knees and crawled toward it, energy steadily leaving my body. I saw the outline of five bodies, four sleeping, and one poking at the fire, and my heart leapt. I used my last ounce of strength to pull myself to my feet and yell for help.

'Dad! Please, I need you!' The head of the one poking the fire whipped around, and three of the four sleeping figures stirred. I stumbled toward them blindly, tripping over small rocks in the sand, my hand screaming in pain as I fell back down to the ground. Strong arms swept me up and crushed me to a warm chest.

'I thought you were dead,' said the deep baritone, and I smiled faintly.

'It'll take more than that to get me out of the game,' I said weakly, then groaned. 'You wouldn't happen to have any water, would you? I've been walking for almost a day with no Gald and no supplies.' Dad nodded and helped me over to the fire, unscrewing a canteen and passing it to me.

'Amie, you're alive!' Genis said in disbelief but I didn't answer. Instead, I was taking long swigs from the canteen greedily, until Dad pulled it away.

'You'll make yourself sick,' he said firmly, and I stuck my tongue out.

'Yeah, I'm alive. How's Colette?'

'She's resting,' the Professor cut in. 'She should be all right by tomorrow.' I let out a long breath.

'At least something went right.' The Professor nodded.

'Our next destination is across the sea, to the east. We were planning on leaving in the morning, but you aren't fit to travel.' I smiled gratefully and curled up on Dad's bedroll.

'How long have I been gone?'

'Three days. Almost four,' Dad said, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

'So, for four days, you thought I was…'

'Yeah, but you're alive now!' Finally, Lloyd spoke up in his brash tone. 'That's all that matters, right?' Despite how crappy I felt, I couldn't help but laugh.

'I suppose it is. Thanks, Lloyd.' And before anyone could say another word, I was fast asleep.

I was woken up many hours later by a small pair of arms hugging me. My eyes cracked open to see a mound of blonde hair across my face, and my laughter rang out.

'Good to see you too, Colette.' I pushed myself into a sitting position and cried out when I put weight on my left arm. A deep purple bruise was visible, and it encircled my wrist.

'Professor? I got a little beaten up before, do you think you could…?' She nodded in understanding and summoned her magic. At last, the pain faded, and the bruise disappeared. 'Thanks.'

'Amethyst, you're a mess. We must return to Triet and get you cleaned up.' Her words, though sharp, were filled with concern.

'We don't have time. We've spent enough time here. Let's move on to Ossa Trail,' Dad dismissed the idea quickly.

'Y-yes, I agree. I'm fine. Ossa Trail it is.' I stood up and swayed, and Colette shook her head.

'You aren't fine, you need to eat, your clothes are dirty, and your hair is matted. We have to go back to Triet.' Dad sighed.

'Fine, I suppose a few hours won't hurt.' So, to my dismay, we headed back to Triet, with me riding on Noishe.

'Can you believe this?' I muttered in his ear, 'I'm totally fine to go on, and yet here we are, back-tracking for no reason. Noishe huffed, and I frowned.

'Okay, so maybe I'm a little weaker than I normally am, but I know my limits.' He stopped walking and looked back at me, and I bit my lip.

'Don't look at me like that. It'll be nice to have a bath and a proper meal; I'm just worried about you-know-who finding us again.' The protozoan whined, and I knew he understood. He'd crossed paths with Yggdrasil before. Before too long, Triet was looming in front of us, and I slipped off of Noishe's back.

'Thanks,' I said as I stroked his neck, 'I don't know what I'd do without you.' He nudged me forward affectionately, and ran toward the small stable to take a nap. Lloyd came up beside me and watched him go.

'Why are you so friendly with him?' I shrugged.

'I don't know, I guess I've just taken to him.' Most of that was true. Noishe was a friend of Dad's, and he lived with us on the surface until Mom died. 'How did you meet up with him?' Lloyd shook his head.

'He's just kind of always been there. He doesn't normally take to strangers, though, and he ran right to you the day you came to Iselia.'

'What can I say? I'm good with animals.' I bumped him with my hip playfully and walked toward the inn, Colette right behind me.

'Amie, your hair… Let me brush it out, please!' I slung my arm around her shoulders.

'All right, just give me a few minutes. I want to take a bath and wash my clothes.' I patted the sleeve of my coat, and a cloud of dust rose from it. 'See?' She nodded.

'Okay, just come to the oasis when you're done.' I smiled and pushed the door open.

'Alia! Have you got a hot bath for an old friend?' My construction client grinned.

'Amethyst, you're safe! Right behind that door.' She pointed to a small door under the staircase and I shot her a grateful look.

Minutes later, my clothes were clean, and I was soaking in a steaming tub. I hadn't felt water this warm since I was on Derris-Kharlan, and it was glorious. I knew I had to meet Colette, so I got out of the tub and dressed, looking at the water with a longing gaze the entire time.

I strolled to the oasis with a spring in my step, feeling quite refreshed from my bath. I saw Colette sitting on the dock, her boots off, and her feet dangling in the water. I sat down beside her, noticing the oddly pensive look on her face.

'What's wrong?' She snapped out of her haze and glanced at me, swishing her toes around through the cool water. I pulled off my own tall black boots and followed suit, my feet hanging a little lower.

'I was just thinking about how much I'm going to miss this,' she said quietly, and I sighed.

'You know what will become of your body during the transformation, am I right?' She closed her eyes and nodded.

'It's already started. But, how do you know about that?' I cursed myself for being so careless.

'Okay, I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell a soul, okay?' She cocked her head, and I continued.

'The reason I came to Iselia is because I'm hiding from an angel named Yggdrasil. He tried to induce the transformation on me, even though I don't have the blood of the Chosen, and I escaped with Dad.'

'Okay, but why come to Iselia?' That was a fair point, but it was tricky to answer without revealing the existence of Derris-Kharlan.

'My father told me I was born there,' I said uneasily.

'You don't sound convinced,' Colette replied, and I shrugged.

'I've spent the last fifteen years elsewhere, but if I really did live there, you'd think I'd remember something about the village. I'd remember you being born, that's for sure.'

'Well, why don't you talk to Kratos about it? I can't see him keeping something like that from you.' I snorted.

'I'm not so sure. When I was in that base… I ran into an old friend of my dad's. He said I had a brother. But, I don't remember anything about that. I just remember my parents.' The blonde frowned.

'Well, do you think he's still alive?'

'If he's got the same blood as me, I doubt it. Yggdrasil would've gotten to him by now.' I stopped talking as Lloyd and Genis ran past the dock, no doubt going to the fortune teller. Somehow, that small change of events lightened the mood.

'Now, what do you think? Can you get those knots out, or will I have to cut it all off?' Colette giggled.

'It would be such a shame to cut it, it's so soft! I'll do my best with the knots.' She picked her brush up and started to work, gently teasing out each snag. After a few minutes, Genis ran out of the fortune teller's tent, Lloyd in hot pursuit.

'Hey, Colette, guess what the fortune teller said,' the young mage said excitedly, 'she said that you and Lloyd are soul mates! Colette and Lloyd blushed.

'I-I don't think she meant it like that,' Colette fumbled for words, 'I think she just meant that we're really good friends, don't you think, Amie?'

'Yeah, I guess. Genis, why don't you and Lloyd go swimming while Colette and I watch? I'm sure you've been dying to ever since we got back.' Lloyd's face lit up.

'Yeah, come on, Genis!' He stripped off his shirt and kicked off his boots. One look at Colette told me that the fortune teller was spot-on.

'Why don't you just tell him how you feel?' I asked as she went back to my hair. I watched the two young men splashing around in delight. 'It's obvious he feels the same.'

'I can't put him through that,' she said sadly, 'you know what happens during the angel transformation. That's why I lied to him. I don't want him to see me like that.'

'Colette…' I was lost for words. 'He won't think any less of you.'

'There. All done. I think I'm going to rest in my room.' She stood up, picked up her boots and left. I sighed and leaned back on my elbows, staring into the sky. For someone so bright and cheery, she sure could be stubborn. I raked a hand across my scalp, smiling as the fine hair slipped through my fingers. Colette had done a wonderful job. My stomach rumbled, and I became aware of how ravenous I was. I stood up, plucking my boots from the dock, and walked barefoot through the hot sand to the inn. I sauntered over to the reception desk once more, and flashed a smile at Alia.

'Do you think you could let me use the kitchens? It's been a while since I've had a proper meal.' Alia hesitated.

'I don't know, they're pretty strict about stuff like that. What if I just have something delivered to your room?' I shook my head.

'I wouldn't want to trouble anyone. Just a few rice balls and I'll be fine; you'd barely know I was there.'

'Really, Amethyst, I couldn't-'

'Amie,' I corrected, 'my friends call me Amie.'

'All right, Amie, then. I suppose I could let you in for a few minutes. Just don't take too long, okay?' I smiled. Too easy.

'Of course. I'll clean up real well, I swear.' I let my dialect loosen to seal the deal, a twang creeping into my voice to make her feel more at ease. She handed me a key and pointed me in the right direction. I gave a mock salute and left before she could change her mind.

The kitchens weren't difficult to find- especially after threading through a maze of ducts (twice)- and I found my way there pretty easily.

'Hey! You're not allowed in here,' barked a burly cook when I pushed the door open, and I tried my best to look confused.

'Are you sure? Because I just got this key from reception. I'm with the Chosen's group. We haven't eaten properly in days, so they said I could make something down here.' The cook's eyes narrowed, but he relented.

'All right, you can use the kitchen, but I have my eye on you.' I let my shoulders droop and looked at him with innocent eyes.

'Of course, sir.' We turned away from each other, and I smirked. This was getting fun. I didn't want to antagonize the chef any more than I had to, so I made my sandwiches and rice balls and retreated to the room I shared with Dad.

'Tomorrow,' I insisted, and when I received an odd look from him, I elaborated. 'We are leaving for Ossa Trail tomorrow, no exceptions.' Dad shrugged.

'I was about to suggest that myself. You seem to be fit enough for travel now, to be honest, but we'll wait.'

'Dad, when I was in that base…' I started to tell him about what Yuan told me, but what if he was serious in his threats? I had no doubt that a large group of his soldiers could take me down, and even in a hand-to-hand battle, I'd never win against him. No, I wouldn't tell Dad about him, not yet. 'Never mind. I was just wondering if you knew who those soldiers were. They didn't seem like Desians to me. Up at the Martel Temple, too. They're faster than Desians.'

'Yes, I'd noticed that myself,' Dad sighed, 'unfortunately, we don't really have much to go on at this point. All we can do is stay wary and hope that we get more details later.' I nodded in silent assent and kicked off my boots. Shrugging off my coat, I crawled into the comfortable bed the farthest from the window and fell into a deep dreamless sleep in seconds.

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><p><strong>Review, and you'll be Sir Bud!<strong>


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